Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-03
THE OATH.

In brief conversation with Regis
trar w. Van Cott yesterday afternoon,
that gentleman gave some reasons which,
to our mind, appeared not only reasona-
BILE, but conclusive of the wisdom Of his
adoption of the Commissioners oath.
He said that, outside of the legal ques-
ton involved, upon which loyal Attor-
neys disagree, regarding the legality
OF the Committees oath, there were
other matters connected Herewith,
which he had carefully considered
with the view to the best interest of the
loyal cause, so far as anything could be
done without going outside of the obliga-
tions OF his oath in the discharge of his
official duties. We .apprehend that no
one acquainted with Mr.. Van Cott can,
with sincerity, charge him with lack of
fidelity to the principles which are advo-
Gated by the loyal people of the
Territory, or his desire not to see them
prevail. He is confident that if
any doubtful oath was administered
that the Mormons would take it as
readily as they will the one formulated
by the Commissioners, saving out
enough to test the matter in the courts,
SO that nothing would be gained, even
temporarily, by administering any other
form. Should any oath, affording the
least possibility of question as to its
legality be adopted, the Mormons would
most certainly take advantage of it by
carrying the matter into the courts, where
it would doubtless remain undecided for
from two to five years. Thus would
the matter be tied up, and in the mean
time the Gentiles of Utah could not ex-
pect any Congressional legislation while
the question remained undecided in the
Supreme Court of the United States. On
the other hand, the taking of the Com
missiohers' oath simply proves, and ef-
fectuaily too, what Messrs Baskin and
Bennett told the Congressman at Wash
ington, that the Mormons would not only
take that oath, but any other in order
| to win the elections. Then if the
cases were reversed there would be a
setback for the Gentiles. So while there
is delay and many other disadvantages
to be hazarded, there is nothing to be
gained by adopting any other than the
Commissioners oath. These are the
reasons given in brief, which decided
Mr.. Van Colt to accept the oath sug-
gested by the Commission. We
believe that be is not only sin
cere in his assertion that his
couse is best for the loyal cause, but that
his conclusion is judicious one. While
every enthusiastic loyalist would naturally
feel pleased to see the Mormons forced to
take an oath as distasteful as possible to
them, they would take their medicine all
the same. 1t would not be good sense,
however, to sacrifice for momentary
satisfaction the chance for such legisla-
ton in Congress at the next session
as will not leave the question
of political control in. Utah, to be de-
cided by the elasticity of the Mormon
conscience. THE DEMOCRAT predicted
when the bill was passed, that the Nor
mons would take the oath in sufficient
numbers to carry the elections. The re-
result at Brigham City more than
verified the prediction. We are
confident, however, that the result of
the oath experiment, will insure for
US at the next session, the passage OF a
bill, which will not only be ga step in the
right direction" but which will, without
any preliminary circumlocution, place
the local government of Utah in the
hands of the friends OF the Federal Gov
ernment and supporters of the Constitu-
ton and the laws. Let us not then by
any hot-headed indiscretion interpose a
barrier to the accomplishment of such
result.